Snowells Week 2021

how can i stand here with you (and not be moved by you?)

Summary: Day 1 of SnowellsWeek2021! First up for the theme of 'awkward first meetings' we have an AU story between the original Harrison Wells of Earth (one never killed and replaced by Eobard Thawne but who still loses Tess) and a new version of Caitlin Snow we haven't seen before.

Pairing: older!Caitlin Snow/original!Harrison Wells

A.N. The title and lyrics on the graphic come from the song "Everything" by Lifehouse. We didn't really get to see much of the original Harrison Wells before he died, but I've always sort of thought he could be a little bit a cross between Earth 2 Harry (just not as grumpy) and H.R. (just not as clueless), even a little as observant as Sherloque too, brilliant and driven but also a romantic and compassionate person as well. And I've wanted to play with the idea of an older Caitlin character as the show initially intended to cast her for a long time (of course I couldn't see anyone but Danielle as Caitlin but just pretend she has some old-age makeup or something. I'd have photoshopped a picture of her but I'm not really familiar enough with the program to do it well). The two of them together, the original Harrison and an older Caitlin, isn't a couple we've seen on the show but I thought they could be a nice match together. There's so much I could do with these two, but for this one and the rest of the days for Snowells Week I decided to do smaller drabbles as things have been kinda crazy. 

~

Harrison stared long and hard at the gravestone in front of him, scrunching his face and ignoring the sun in his eyes. His only focus was on the name carved in stone even as the ground bit at his knees and the early morning dew seeped into the fabric of his trousers. Her face was ingrained in his, so much so that even now years later staring at the stone all he ever saw was her. Her soft voice chased him with the wind, the jasmine scent of her perfume followed his nose everywhere, the golden honey of her hair that he saw in every blonde woman on the street, those twinkling stars in her eyes he could never get out of his mind . . . His Tess, the love of his life.

Lost to him forever.

"Well, Tess . . . it's been twelve years now since you were taken from me. Feels like forever and just yesterday at the same time." His eyes scanned the area, "And yet, you're still with me every day."

"I'm so close, so close to achieving what we dreamed. S.T.A.R. Labs is thriving, and your plans for the Particle Accelerator are flawless. Really, honey, I think the work we'll be able to do would make you so proud - so pleased. If only you could be here with me to share it, but . . ." He paused, letting out a deep breath, "Anyways, I just wanted to come and see you this morning. Tell you how much I miss you, how I'll always love you. I know, I say it every time - but I still mean it as much as ever. You're my everything, Tess, and that'll never change. I just miss you so much..."

A woman crossed into the cemetery, eyes down as she stopped in front of a gravestone across the way. Harrison tilted his head, watching the woman closely. There was something . . . something familiar about her.

The woman was older, though still a bit younger than Harrison himself. Her hair was a darker reddish-brown mixed with very few strands of grey. She wore a sharp blue business suit, complete with a pencil skirt and black high heels, a blue purse hanging from her arm. She just looked . . . there was something about her . . .

Facing away from Harrison, she dropped to her knees in front of a plot with one hand on the stone and the other over her heart. The way her shoulders tensed, he could tell she was crying.

He could swear that he knew her . . . the name was on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't . . .

He turned away for just a moment, and when he looked back the mysterious woman was already hurrying across the grass to the parking lot. He watched her get into a car and leave, that nagging still in the back of his head that he should know who she was. It wasn't long before her car was out of sight, but Harrison had a feeling he wouldn't be getting her out of his mind any time soon.